Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blue: Patriotic Tea Party on the Porch!

Celebrate the Sweet Land of Liber-Tea and the Red, White and Blue with a Patriotic Tea Party. You’ll find sweet treats and tea pairings, along with tea inspiration from my Tea on Tuesday friends.

Welcome to our June edition of Tea on Tuesdays,

a celebration of all things ‘tea’

on the third Tuesday of the month!

Pam and I are excited to welcome back our special guest,

Sarah, from Hyacinths for the Soul.

We’re glad you’re here too, pour yourself a cuppa and join us! ☕

You can find Pam and Sarah’s invitation to tea at the bottom of this post.

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On the heels of Flag Day and with Independence Day a couple of weeks away,

the three of us are waving the flag for June’s edition of Tea on Tuesday ->

three cheers for the Red, White and Blue!

🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸

My love of the Red, White and Blue applies to transferware too!

A melting pot of transferware patterns join a red, white and blue patchwork table runner,

layered over a blue and white paisley tablecloth, for a patriotic table on the porch. . .

. . . steeped in Americana!

I have two teas for you to enjoy today. . .

Join me for a celebration of liberty with Liber-Tea . . .

Raspberry Oolong!

Wu Yi Oolong Tea is flavored with raspberry and pieces of dried fruit. . .

apple, cranberry, as well as hibiscus.

It’s a mild and refreshing tea blend that’s aromatic and slightly sweet.

Exercise your freedom and independence and enjoy it hot or over ice!

Harney & Sons Blueberry Green Tea  is a green tea combining blueberry, lemongrass,

and vanilla for an artfully blended brew.

It’s rated 3 for briskness, 2 for body and 4 for aroma. . .

Delicious hot or iced!

Sip from a Liberty Blue teacup. . .

Liberty Blue dinnerware was created by Enoch Wedgwood Company,

in the historic Staffordshire district of England.

It was designed on behalf of Benjamin Franklin Federal Savings and Loan,

as a promotional item in commemoration of the company’s 50th anniversary in 1975,

and in celebration of the American Bicentennial in 1976.

Or enjoy your tea from a Crown Ducal Bristol teacup.

Help yourself to a sweet treat . . .

Lemon Cornmeal Tea Cakes with Lemon Curd Buttercream!

I found this recipe in the May/June edition of TeaTime Magazine. These tea cakes are sweet and lemony with the distinctive, crunchy texture of cornmeal. Two cake layers are sandwiched and topped with a lemon curd buttercream, and garnished with fresh berries!

I made them two layers in stead of single squares, with the only other change to the recipe, salted butter in the buttercream and doubling the amount of the recipe to make two tier mini cakes.

Note: If you prefer your cake to taste like cake instead of cornbread 😉, I recommend doctoring a lemon cake mix. Freeze and cut into 2-inch squares or  your desired size.

Lemon Cornmeal Tea Cakes with Lemon Curd Buttercream

Makes 24 single 2-inch cakes or 12 two-layer cakes

Cornmeal Cake Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup almond flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Optional garnish: Sliced strawberries, fresh blueberries, mint leaf

To make cakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray 14 ½ x 9 ½ inch jelly roll pan with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper with edges hanging over the edge and lightly spray parchment; set aside.

In medium bowl, whisk together cornmeal, almond flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In medium bowl, beat together butter, sugar and lemon zest with a mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, approximated 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time; add in sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla, beating until incorporated.

Using a spatula, fold cornmeal mixture into butter mixture. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan using an offset spatula to smooth top.

Bake until edges of cake are golden and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cake cool completely in pan. To prevent cake from crumbling when cutting into squares, place in freezer until firm, about 1 hour.

When cake is frozen, lift cake out of pan using edges of parchment. Trim edges of cake and cut into (24) 2-inch squares.

Lemon Curd Buttercream

1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick)

2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1/4 cup lemon curd

If you struggle like I do to keep your pastry bag tidy while filling it with frosting, here’s a favorite tip:

use plastic wrap!

Place your frosting on a long piece of plastic wrap.

Roll up the plastic wrap, twisting the ends to seal. Snip off one end of the plastic wrap

and place into a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip.

To make buttercream:

In medium bowl, beat butter with mixer at medium speed until light and creamy.

Gradually beat in sugar until well incorporated, stopping to scrape down sides and bottom of bowl.

Beat in lemon curd until mixture is light and fluffy, 3 minutes or so.

Pipe buttercream onto 12 squares for double decker cakes; top with cake square; pipe top of cakes. If making ahead, store cakes in an airtight container until ready serve. Top with sliced berries right before serve to prevent berries from weeping.

Print Recipe

Lemon Cornmeal Tea Cakes with Lemon Curd Buttercream

Sweet and lemony with the crunchy texture of cornmeal, these mini tea cakes are topped with a lemon curd buttercream and garnished with fresh berries. Makes 24 single (2-inch) cakes or 12 two-layer cakes

Prep Time45 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

cool time and freeze time2 hours hrs

Total Time3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Course: Dessert, Teatime Treat

Cuisine: American

Keyword: almond buttercream, almond flour, cornmeal, lemon curd, lemon zest, mini cakes tea cakes

Servings: 12 mini 2 layer cakes

Equipment

• mixer
• 14 ½ x 9 ½ inch jelly roll pan
• large open star tip and pastry bag

Ingredients

Cornmeal Cakes

• ½ cup unsalted butter softened (1 stick)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ cup finely ground yellow cornmeal
• ½ cup almond flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• Sliced strawberries, fresh blueberries, sprig of mint to garnish

Lemon Curd Buttercream

• ½ cup salted butter (1 stick)
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar sifted
• ¼ cup lemon curd

Instructions

To make cakes:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray 14 ½ x 9 ½ inch jelly roll pan with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper with edges hanging over edge of pan and lightly spray parchment; set aside.
• In medium bowl, whisk together cornmeal, almond flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
• In medium bowl, beat together butter, sugar and lemon zest with a mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, approximated 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
• Add sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla into butter mixture, beating until incorporated.
• Using a spatula, fold cornmeal mixture into butter mixture. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan using an offset spatula to smooth top.
• Bake until edges of cake are golden and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cake cool completely in pan. Place in freezer until firm, about 1 hour.
• When cake is frozen, lift cake out of pan using edges of parchment. Trim edges of cake and cut into (24) 2-inch squares.
• Pipe buttercream onto 12 squares for double decker cakes; top with cake square. Pipe top of cakes and top with sliced berries right before serving to prevent berries from weeping. If making ahead, store cakes in an airtight container until ready to top with berries and serve.

To make Lemon Curd Buttercream

• In medium bowl, beat butter with mixer at medium speed until light and creamy.
• Gradually beat in sugar until well incorporated, stopping to scrape down sides and bottom of bowl.
• Beat in lemon curd until mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Fill piping bag fitted with a large open star tip to pipe buttercream between cake layers and on top.

Notes

• Alternatively, use a doctored lemon cake mix and bake in 17-x-12-inch rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment.
• Freezing the cake before cutting prevents the cake from crumbling.
• If making ahead, store cakes in an airtight container until ready to top with berries and serve.
• Wait to add sliced berries to top of cakes right before served to prevent berries from weeping.

Details:

Libertea Tea Raspberry Oolong / The Tea Can Company

Patchwork Table Runner / Lauren, HomeGoods

Tablecloth, Navy Napkins / HomeGoods, several years ago

Star Napkins / DII 

Enamel Star Napkin Rings / Pottery Barn, several years ago

Pastry Server

White Wicker Placemats / Ballard Designs, several years ago

Assorted Transferware / New and Vintage:

Johnson Brothers Devon Cottage, Royal Stafford, Crown Ducal Bristol, Staffordshire Liberty Blue,

Alfred Meakin Denstone, Johnson Brothers Historic America

Palate & Plate Rose Blue and Rose Pink

Wallace Hotel flatware 

You’re invited to join Pam and Sarah for tea:

Pam at Everyday Living

Sarah at Hyacinths for the Soul

Thank you for your visit, sharing with:

Tablescape Thursday